She led the whole village to prosperity by raising koi fish.

Chapter 131 Wife Returns

In married life, without a wife to supervise, it's truly like a bird released from its cage or a fish swimming freely in water—utterly carefree! This was the feeling of Yang Yuxuan, and it was the same for Zhou Dong. Especially Zhou Dong, since stepping into the brothel, he felt like he was sinking into a quagmire, unable to extricate himself. He not only frequented it often, going every two or three days to enjoy the beautiful music and melodious singing of the courtesans, but he also generously gave them small change as tips. In this way, these two men, who had already entered the halls of marriage, transformed into regulars of the brothel.

Unexpectedly, Zhou Xi and Xiao Cui returned from the deep mountains. Even more surprisingly, after a period of recuperation, Zhou Xi had fully recovered.

With radiant smiles and overflowing joy, the two stepped briskly into the luxurious mansion in the city. They expected a warm and welcoming greeting from their families, but what they saw there shocked them—the entire house was empty and silent; not a soul could be seen. This sudden turn of events left them stunned. They exchanged a glance, their faces filled with deep confusion and bewilderment.

Just as they were pondering and filled with doubt, a sudden commotion arose outside the door. The two women quickly looked in the direction of the sound and saw two married men, each leading a beautiful and graceful woman, slowly walking towards them. The two women were dressed in gorgeous clothes, their makeup exquisite, and their smiles radiant, as captivating as flowers blooming in spring.

Seeing this scene, Xiao Cui was instantly enraged, trembling with rage. Her eyes widened as she glared at her husband, Zhou Dong, and she roared through gritted teeth, "Zhou Dong, you heartless bastard! How dare you cheat on me, seeking pleasure outside and bringing this vixen home! You're practically putting a huge green hat on my head! I won't be satisfied until I teach you a lesson today!" Before she finished speaking, Xiao Cui had already charged forward like a gust of wind, raising her clenched fist without hesitation and smashing it down on Zhou Dong with all her might.

Where did Zhou Xi go? This is truly unexpected! All along, in everyone's eyes, her husband, who seemed as docile as a lamb and as obedient as a good child, had actually done such a despicable thing behind her back—cheating! When this cruel truth was laid bare before her, Zhou Xi felt as if her heart had been struck hard by a heavy hammer, instantly shattering into countless pieces.

Without the slightest hesitation, she turned around and took firm, resolute steps to leave. Each step felt like stepping on a knife's edge, excruciatingly painful, but she gritted her teeth, refusing to utter a sound.

Just then, Yang Yuxuan was startled. He knew that if Zhou Xi returned home and told his parents-in-law about this, the consequences would be unimaginable. Thinking of this, he didn't have time to think further and rushed forward, spreading his arms to block Zhou Xi's path.

After standing still, Yang Yuxuan lowered his head deeply, his face full of regret and guilt, and said sincerely, "Wife, I was wrong! I'm really sorry, please forgive my stupidity and mistakes!" However, Zhou Xi was already heartbroken at this moment, and tears welled up uncontrollably, sliding down her cheeks and forming two clear tear tracks.

She raised her head, staring directly at the man she once deeply loved, and shouted with a mixture of grief and indignation, "You only realize you were wrong now? What were you doing before? Yang Yuxuan, you have truly disappointed me. This is the end for us, let's break up!" After saying this, Zhou Xi felt as if all her strength had been exhausted, and her body began to tremble uncontrollably.

Upon hearing the word "breakup," Yang Yuxuan froze on the spot as if struck by lightning. After a moment, he came to his senses, knelt down with a thud, and tightly hugged Zhou Xi's legs, pleading, "I'm sorry, my wife. I have truly realized my mistakes this time. Please give me another chance. Don't leave me, okay?"

No matter how much Yang Yuxuan repented and begged for forgiveness, Zhou Xi's wounded heart could not heal. She forcefully broke free from Yang Yuxuan's grasp, turned resolutely away with tears in her eyes, leaving Yang Yuxuan kneeling alone, watching her receding figure, his eyes blurred with regret…

Yang Yuxuan thought to himself: Zhou Xi is unfamiliar with this city and has nowhere else to go. He figured she'd come back to find him soon. With that in mind, he turned around and headed straight for Zhou Dong's house, intending to wait for Zhou Xi's return there.

Meanwhile, at Zhou Dong's house, things were quite lively! Zhou Dong and Xiao Cui were arguing heatedly, neither willing to give in. Zhou Dong shouted at the top of his lungs, "I really didn't do anything wrong! My brother-in-law just wanted to have some fun, it has nothing to do with me!" Xiao Cui, on the other hand, looked suspicious, crossed her arms, and pouted, saying, "Hmph, don't give me that! I don't believe your nonsense!"

Seeing this, Zhou Dong stomped his feet in anger, glared at Xiao Cui with wide eyes, and loudly questioned, "Then what do you want me to believe?!" Xiao Cui turned her head away, snorted, and replied, "Unless those two little vixens admit that this has nothing to do with you."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Dong hurriedly turned around to look at the two women, only to find that they had already vanished without a trace! He couldn't help but slap his thigh and lament, "Oh dear, what am I going to do! They've made a clean getaway! This is such a headache!"

Just then, Yang Yuxuan returned to Zhou Dong's house. Zhou Dong, with his sharp eyes, spotted him immediately and rushed to Yang Yuxuan's side, frantically winking and gesturing at him.

Then, Zhou Dong quickly put on a nonchalant air and asked in a serious tone, "Brother-in-law, you've come at just the right time! Come, come, be a witness for me. Tell me, were those two women you hired to perform songs and dances for entertainment?"

Yang Yuxuan understood Zhou Dong's ulterior motives, but at this moment he only wanted to win back Zhou Xi and had no intention of helping Zhou Dong cover up his lie. He scratched his head and said, "Brother Dong, we have to tell the truth about this. I don't have time to meddle in this right now." Upon hearing this, Zhou Dong's eyes widened. Just as he was about to speak, Xiao Cui sneered, "Hmph, I knew you had ulterior motives." With that, she punched Zhou Dong again.

Meanwhile, Zhou Xi walked sadly along the road, unknowingly reaching the riverbank. Gazing at the water, her heart was filled with sorrow. Just then, Aunt Liu, a vegetable vendor from town, passed by and saw her. After learning what had happened, she took her to her home to rest. While comforting Zhou Xi, Aunt Liu secretly sent someone to inform Zhou Xi's parents.

At Zhou Dong's house, Yang Yuxuan was verbally abused by Xiao Cui, and Zhou Dong didn't fare well either. Amidst the commotion, Zhou Xi's parents arrived and immediately questioned Yang Yuxuan about what had happened. Yang Yuxuan had no choice but to tell the truth and promised to change her ways. Zhou Xi's parents were furious and decided to take Zhou Xi back to their hometown. Yang Yuxuan pleaded desperately, but Zhou Xi's mind was made up. In the end, Yang Yuxuan could only watch helplessly as Zhou Xi left with her parents, filled with remorse, while Zhou Dong was still racking his brains trying to appease Xiao Cui.

In the magnificent, ornately decorated imperial palace, Princess Wan'er and Su Yuning had only planned to stay for a short while. However, they hadn't expected that the Empress would take such a liking to these two lovely women and be reluctant to let them leave so soon. Thus, the two had no choice but to accept the Empress's invitation and stay in the palace for a while.

During this time, Princess Wan'er and Su Yuning were not idle. They not only kept the Empress company, chatting to relieve her boredom, but also frequently prepared various delicious dishes for her. One day, the skillful Su Yuning used fresh yams and sweet and sour blueberries to carefully create a delicate dessert that was both delicious and appetizing, which she presented to the Empress. Meanwhile, the clever and quick-witted Princess Wan'er was not to be outdone. She cleverly used the remaining yams and combined them with golden millet to cook a pot of fragrant and smooth millet and yam porridge. Afterwards, Princess Wan'er happily and carefully presented the steaming porridge to the Empress, preparing to personally feed her and let her taste her cooking.

Looking at the two delicious dishes before her, the Empress was both touched and exasperated, saying with a wry smile, "Oh dear, look at you two, working so hard to prepare such culinary delights for me. At this rate, I'm afraid I'll become increasingly plump and round!" Hearing this, Princess Wan'er quickly comforted the Empress, "Sister-in-law, don't worry about that. You're six months pregnant now, and it's the time when you need to nourish your body and replenish your nutrients. Come, come, try this bowl of millet porridge I personally cooked for you." With that, Princess Wan'er scooped up a spoonful of fragrant millet and yam porridge, gently blew away the steam, and tenderly brought it to the Empress's lips.

After taking a small sip, the Empress nodded slightly in approval: "Hmm, this porridge tastes quite good, the aroma of yam is very rich. However, the only drawback is that it doesn't have any sugar added, so it tastes a bit bland. Next time you make it, you can consider adding some sugar."

Upon hearing this, Princess Wan'er, who was standing to the side, quickly nodded and responded with a joyful smile, "Okay, okay! Then, sister-in-law, would you rather have brown sugar millet porridge or rock sugar millet porridge?" She blinked her bright eyes and looked at the other person expectantly, waiting for an answer.

Just then, Su Yuning, who had been sitting quietly to the side, parted her lips slightly and said softly, "I think brown sugar is better. After all, for pregnant women, eating some brown sugar can effectively replenish qi and blood, and it can also have a good effect on warming the stomach." Her voice was clear and melodious, as sweet as a nightingale singing in a valley.

Princess Wan'er looked puzzled and curious upon hearing this, and eagerly asked, "Sister Yuning, why is it not recommended to add rock sugar when cooking porridge? Is there some special reason for this?" As she spoke, she stared intently at Su Yuning with her big, watery eyes, eager to know the answer.

Su Yuning smiled gently, her beauty as radiant as a flower blooming in spring. She first lightly brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, then patiently explained to Princess Wan'er, "Second Sister-in-law, there's a lot to know about this! You see, rock sugar and white sugar are both raw sugars, and their properties tend to be cooling. If pregnant women eat too much, it could cause discomfort such as abdominal pain. But brown sugar is different. It's processed using a special method and is a cooked sugar. Its properties are mild, and it even has a warming effect. So, from a health perspective, adding brown sugar when cooking porridge is definitely a more suitable choice."

After hearing this, Princess Wan'er nodded in sudden understanding: "Oh, I see. It's all thanks to Sister Yu Ning for reminding me, otherwise I would have been careless. Alright then, next time we'll make brown sugar millet porridge for my sister-in-law."

The Empress's face lit up with a bright smile, and she said with satisfaction, "Miss Su understands me best. It's settled then. Remember to add brown sugar next time!" The whole palace was instantly filled with a joyful and harmonious atmosphere.

"No need to be so polite, Your Majesty. We are about the same age and like sisters. You don't need to be so formal. You can just call me Yu Ning." Su Yu Ning smiled, her beautiful eyes curving, her smile as lovely and charming as peach blossoms blooming in spring.

Seeing this, the Empress smiled and winked playfully in her beautiful eyes, replying in a sweet voice, "Since that's the case, then I'll take the liberty of calling you Ah Ning..." Her words were full of affection.

"Okay!" Su Yuning nodded happily, her feelings for the kind and amiable Empress growing stronger.